Aurora Fire Rescue quickly extinguished a fire in a three-story apartment complex near 15900 East 13th Place at approximately 1:44 am. AFR's Ladder 5 was the first unit on the scene, and heavy smoke was found coming from the third floor of the west side hallway. Engine 5 and Engine 8 established a water supply to a fire hydrant. Ladder 5 searched the building and found a couch fire on the third floor. The fire was quickly extinguished, and AFR used fans to clear the smoke from the building.
One adult female was carried out of the fire unit and transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. No one was displaced, and no other injuries were reported. Fire investigations determined the cause to be accidental due to careless smoking, and the origin was a couch.
Installing smoke alarms in key areas of a home is a crucial fire safety measure. By placing them in every bedroom, outside sleeping areas, and every level of a home (including basements), homeowners and landlords can significantly increase the chances of early fire detection, allowing residents to evacuate safely.
These guidelines are essential in ensuring that fires are detected early, even if they start in remote areas of a home. It's also important to test smoke alarms regularly and replace the batteries at least once a year or when the device signals a low battery.
Making this a community-wide standard helps protect lives and reduces fire-related risks for everyone.